Page 27 of Mountain Impact

Suddenly, Jens’s body appeared at floor level. Drake let go of the winch and grabbed on to the man’s harness, pulling with all his might to bring Jens into the cabin. Knowing they were running out of time, he hugged Jens tight against his own body, tucking the man’s head against his chest.

An instant later, the crippled machine struck the ground with a thud.

Drake felt his teeth jar and tasted blood.

Almost bit my tongue off.

He swallowed, disgusted by the metallic taste.

Beside him, Jens groaned.

“Jens?” Drake shook the man in his arms.

“Jesus, Drake. Let me go. I can’t breathe.”

Drake let out a relieved breath.

Fuck. That was too close.

He realized they hadn’t heard any sound coming from the cockpit.

“Kat? Are you okay?”

The pilot walked back towards them. He red hair was loose, rather than in her customary ponytail, and blood dripped down her forehead from where she must have hit her head against the controls on landing, but otherwise she looked unharmed.

“Is this thing going to explode?” Jens asked.

Kat shook her head. “Don’t think so. We’re okay. How are you both doing?”

“Outstanding landing, Kat,” Drake said.

“Yeah, tell that to the colonel,” Kat said, laughing.

“Couldn’t care less what the colonel thinks,” Jens replied. “We shouldn’t even be alive.”

Outside, the rain continued pummeling the machine.

Now that Drake looked at him carefully, the man seemed a bit uncertain on his feet. There was a goose egg growing on his forehead.

“You hit your head against something,” he stated, worried. Head injuries were nothing to laugh about.

“I think I hit the landing skids as you were pulling me up. It’s nothing. Thanks, man. You saved my life.”

I’m also the reason you almost died.

Drake was saved from having to respond by Gael’s frantic voice on their communication device.

“Guys? Tell me you’re okay, please.”

It was Kat who replied.

“I had to land the helicopter, Gael. We’re okay. I’m reaching out to the Annecy team to come pick you up.”

She paused for a second. They all knew what she wasn’t saying.

A patient in respiratory distress didn’t have that kind of time.

“I’m sorry, Gael.”